Milan have steadied themselves after a turbulent week, turning a damaging Europa League defeat into renewed domestic momentum. The 2-0 win at Udinese on Sunday, secured through goals from Christian Pulisic and Omari Hutchinson, lifted the club to fourth in Serie A on 18 points and drew a line under the chaos of the Bournemouth collapse, where a red card for captain Mike Maignan and two conceded penalties contributed to a 3-0 defeat that had prompted owner Gerry Cardinale to travel to Italy in person.

What made the Udinese result particularly encouraging was the context in which it arrived. Ruben Amorim was without Adrien Rabiot, Mario Gila and Diego Moreira, who all picked up injuries in the days before the match, adding to an already lengthy list of absentees. Rather than buckle, fringe players stepped up. Davide Bartesaghi and Hutchinson were both excellent, while teenage debutant Sankhoun Diawara impressed at left back. The performance gave Amorim genuine selection options and reasons for confidence heading into a demanding stretch.

Cardinale remains in Italy and will stay through the derby against Inter on October 31, a sign that the club's leadership is watching closely. Before that, Milan host Bologna at San Siro on Wednesday in the ninth round of Serie A. Gonçalo Ramos, who returned from injury to lead the attack at Udinese, is expected to start again.